Improved container

ABSTRACT

A resealable container including a body portion, a threaded cover disposed in sealing relation with the body portion, at least one elongated segment of fracturable pressure sensitive adhesive tape having first and second ends secured lengthwise across the cover and body portion, and a severable label at least partially surrounding the body portion and overlapping the tape at about the body portion.

United States Patent inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Lloyd A. Nelson Fremont, Mich.

Sept. 17, 1969 Oct. 26, 1971 Gerber Products Company Fremont, Mich.

IMPROVED CONTAINER 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S. Cl.

Field of Search 99/17] S, 215/7, 220/39 B Int. Cl 865d 55/02 171 C; 215/42, 7; 220/39 B; 215/38 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,088,830 5/1963 Graham 99/171 C 3,405,833 10/1968 Salinger et al. 215/38 A Primary ExaminerFrank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-William L. Mentlik Attorney-Townsend and Townsend ABSTRACT: A resealable container including a body portion, a threaded cover disposed in sealing relation with the body portion, at least one elongated segment of fracturable pressure sensitive adhesive tape having first and second ends secured lengthwise across the cover and body portion, and a severable label at least partially surrounding the body portion and overlapping the tape at about the body portion.

PATENTEDnmzs Ian INVENTOR LLOYD A. NELSON ATTORNEYS IMPROVED CONTAINER This invention relates to a strip of permanent type pressure sensitive tape that is applied across the edge or rim of the reclosable cover and then downwardly to join the body of the container. The lower extremity of the tape is subsequently covered with a product identification label which encircles the container.

The purpose of applying the the tape is to visually interconnect the movable reclosable cover to the body or fixed portion of the container on which the cover may be turned in a twistoff motion. The tape should, therefore, be of a quality to effect permanent application, so that if a reclosable cover is turned slightly the tape will rupture. Alternatively, if an attempt is made to peel the tape from the cover, the paper label will delaminate or sever and thus provide a visual indication of the possibility that such has happened.

This technique of visually interconnecting the reclosable cover and container body can be by application of a single tape strip extending to join the cover to the container body sidewall, the tape extending downwardly and assuming the configuration of a reclosable cover and container and terminatingunder a product identification label encircling the container. Another form can be essentially the same except that two tapes may be applied approximately opposite or at l80 from each other on the periphery of the cover end of the container.

Throughout this disclosure the container can be assumed to be a glass baby food jar with a twist'ofi' reclosable cover; however, this is for illustrative purposes only and not limited to only this container or product. In general practice, foods sealed with heat sterilization methods contain a vacuum. Also in general practice, reclosable (twist-off) covers for baby foods will contain a panel with a stretched area which acts as a diaphragm or flip panel." When a vacuum is sealed within the container, the flip panel will be drawn inwardly and said reclosable cover will maintain a high resonance due to the flip panel being held in tension by the inward vacuum.

When the reclosable cover is moved, as when opening, the vacuum is released; this allows air to enter the container with a resounding pop noise. The "flip panel" will spring outwardly into its original shape, and since it is no longer under vacuum tension, the resonance will be low or resound as a dud."

On these flip panel type reclosable covers, tapes applied in accordance with this invention will provide a secondary or visual type indicator of tampering.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a resealable-type food container which includes a secondary visual indication of the prior removal of the container cover.

These objects, features and advantages will be better understood and others will become apparent when reference is made to the following disclosure, especially in view of the attached drawing illustrating a perspective view of a resealable jar to which has been applied a pair of tape strips in accordance with this invention.

The invention is the application of a fracturable tape to a jar and lid thereon-in spanning relation to the junction between the jar and the lid. This is accomplished by rolling the jar along a path transversely of which is positioned a segment of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape with the adhesive surface exposed to the jar so that as the jar rolls over the tape, the tape will adhere to the jar.

In one form of the invention, tape provided with a protective backing strip is employed. Such backing strip is utilized in automatically positioning the tape in the jar path. The tape with backing strip attached is conveyed toward the jar path in a direction normal thereto. Adjacent a lateral extremity of the path, the backing strip is drawn obliquely of the path and of the tape, whereupon the tape is advanced into the desired cordance with the present invention.

Within the tape path and In alignment with the tape guide, a

dielike block is mounted for uniformly pressing the tape onto the jar and lid. The dielike block so functions because it has a surface corresponding with the silhouette of the jar and lid.

The jar lying on its side with its lid towards the tape guide is rolled along a runway under the pressure exerted by a pulley and an endless belt aligned with and overlying the path. The jar passes over the tape supported on the dielike block and is pressed down against the upwardly positioned adhesive surface of the tape. A tape segment is thus firmly, adhesively applied to the jar and lid in conformity therewith. A stationary knife surface is provided which is in cooperation with the lid severs the tape segment at the lid, thereby permitting the jar to proceed along the path without interference.

After the jar has rolled through another one and a half revolutions, a similar tape application is repeated to apply a second segment of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape approximately around the periphery from the location of the initial tape segment. As the jars continue along the defined path of the conveyor, additional pressure application can be utilized to increase the adhesion of the tape to the jar surface.

In another aspect of the invention, the segments of tape are preferably applied in a sufficient length so that the aforementioned conventional label, disposed around the periphery of the container body, will overlap the lower end of the tape. This overlap additionally insures that should the tape be removed, its removal will destroy a visibly perceptible portion of the label, thereby alerting the consumer to any prior tampering.

Referring now to the drawings, jar 20 having a conventional metallic lid 21 is provided with 2 strips of pressure-sensitive tape 19'. Overlapping the lower extremity of segments 19 is severable product identification label 8 encircling jar 20 in a conventional manner.

A fracturable pressure-sensitive tape which has been found especially suitable for use with the apparatus of this invention is manufactured by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. and identified as 3M No. 181A. The tape is approximately l [4-inch wide with a continuous backing adhesive release strip adjacent to the adhesive. The spools of tape are wound with adhesive in", each spool contains about 278 yards and since about 1 l/4-inch of tape is used for each tab, one roll of tape will contain 8,000 single applications. Two rolls of tape will therefore tamperproof 8,000 jars with two tapes on each jar.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. A resealable container including a heat sterilized food product, said container comprising: a body portion adapted to receive a cover; a threaded cover disposed in sealing relation with said body; an elongated segment of fracturable pressuresensitive adhesive tape having first and second ends adhesively secured lengthwise across said cover and body portion, respectively; and severable label means at least partially surrounding said body portion and overlapping said tape only at its second end, whereby removal of said tape will sever a visibly perceptible portion of said label means.

2. A resealable container in accordance with claim 1 further provided with a second tape segment, said second segment disposed circumferentially opposite first said tape across said cover and body portion.

I I! i i l 

2. A resealable container in accordance with claim 1 further provided with a second tape segment, said second segment disposed circumferentially opposite first said tape across said cover and body portion. 